Monday, May 08, 2006

Janet Orlando, 53, said she was embarrassed, permanently scarred and mentally anguished by the fraternity-like atmosphere and sales-building exercises at Alarm One, which included paddling if an employee was late for a sales meeting.

The jury initially awarded her $US500,000 in compensatory damages for lost wages, emotional distress and medical expenses. After further deliberation, the jury added another $US1.2 million in punitive damages, lawyers said.

"Nationwide this will make for a safer workplace, help ensure less harassment in the workplace," Orlando's attorney Nicholas "Butch" Wagner told Reuters.

"The most compelling evidence is that they made a middle-aged woman go in front of mostly male co-workers between the ages of 18 and 24, bend over, put her hands on the wall and spanked her with a metal sign."

The swatting incidents occurred in 2003 and stopped as soon as executives at company headquarters in Anaheim, California, received a complaint, Alarm One Chief Operating Officer Patrick Smith said.

I saw an interview with her and she stated she put up with it because the job paid very well and she had a lot of people dependent on her. I guess I wouldn't have put up with it. Then again, I'd be interested in seeing someone trying to enforce their spanking rule with me. According to the interview the punishment of spanking was performed for talking out of turn or tardiness.

I suppose the first time I saw it happen I'd have stated clearly something about the rest of the company may wish to reconsider such actions if I'm the target. Something about the first person that "swats" me will need a proctologist to get the paddle back.

2 comments:

Well now, hold on a sec... Let's assume a "Castle Anthrax" approach to the spanking... "We are but four-score young blondes & brunettes all between the ages of 16 and 19 1/2..." Then we're talking about a whole different approach to work "You must spank all of us and then the oral sex." "Well I could stay for a bit"